Working Mom Survival Kit

Man Crates sent me a message asking me to post a list of my must-have items. I've never gotten a post request before, so I was pretty excited! I checked out their products and I have to say I'm impressed. A Man Crate is a gift basket for men that comes in a wooden recycled crate with a crowbar to open it. You can even pay extra to have it wrapped in a "diabolical duct tape cocoon."
Yes. That's a winner.

They have more than just crates, they also have ammo cans, which are really cool to have. As an army girl you might think I could just swipe a used ammo can from work and take it home, but they keep those things locked up.

One of my favorites was this New Dad Tactical Bag:

Cute, huh?? Er, I mean, MANLY! That's a man's-man baby shower gift! This one inspired my list of must-haves.

So what is in MY survival kit?

1. Minnetonka Thunderbirds - I wear combat boots to work, which means when I get home and change to go out grocery shopping I do NOT want to mess with anymore laces or strappy things. I want comfortable and cute! Not to mention these are perfect for slipping on when you are rushing out the door to get to the pediatrician on time - they match almost anything so you don't have to think about it.

2. Wet N' Wild Color Icon Eyeshadows - At first the Wet N' Wild brand reminded me of the cheap makeup I would wear as a tween, so I never gave it a second look. But then my makeup artist friend gave me an eyeshadow trio and I fell in love. The colors go on beautifully and last all day. When you work hard for your money it's difficult to justify spending it on expensive makeup (at least for me) so when I'm out and wanting to treat myself to a little something I don't feel bad picking up one of these super inexpensive eyeshadows. I own almost the whole collection!

3. Neuro Bliss - I was surprised that this stuff actually works. The stress reducing Bliss formula is magic and it's a lot more acceptable to drink at the office then, you know, wine.

4. The Golden Girls - That's right. If being a busy working mom starts to make you feel old then The Golden Girls will make you feel young again. Stuck on the couch pumping or nursing? Golden Girls. Getting ready for work in the morning? Golden Girls. It's my obsession! May they rest in peace and LONG LIVE Betty White!

5. Chobani Greek Yogurt - These individual cups are a lifesaver when you don't have time to eat. My favorites are pineapple, key lime and black cherry.

Don't forget to check out Man Crates, guys!

<3

Ellaroo Wrap

Long before Ellie was born I was dreaming of carrying her around in a wrap. It turns out that buying wraps is the mommy version of buying designer handbags. Some of these wraps cost $300+... I mean, they are pretty and everything, but wow! I did some research and decided that the Ellaroo was a good deal. I originally wanted the Kristen design and they were sold out, so instead I chose the Ysabel summer weight woven wrap. When I opened it up and saw how gorgeous the colors were I was glad I got this one! It's perfect and I love it. I'm not going to lie, I can see why people would pay big bucks for different wraps. I consider myself pretty thrifty, but I might end up getting addicted myself.

She certainly doesn't enjoy being put in the wrap, but once she gets settled in she usually loves it and falls asleep. I think she might enjoy being on my back a little more so she can look around. Once she can hold her head up by herself I plan on trying out the rucksack tie.

That's my mom! We saw a bunny on the trail eating little blades of grass.

If I ever buy another wrap I will probably get an Ellaroo again. I might like to try a more portable ring sling which would be easier to put on and take off, especially when I'm out shopping. It's just not easy enough to take a long wrap out in a parking lot to put on.

One Month Mommy Essentials

We are five weeks into having our first baby and we have learned a lot! I put together a list of the most essential items we've used during the first month of having a newborn in the house. 

1. Flat Cloth Diapers - Even if you don't cloth diaper, buy these! You can use them for everything. We have used them for spit up cloths, makeshift changing surfaces, blankets, sun covers, nursing pillow covers and iPhone cleaning cloths :) If you DO cloth diaper, I really think that these are a better deal than those fancy inserts that come with the expensive diapers. All you do is fold them into rectangles and put them in the covers just like the liners. The best part is that you can buy thicker or thinner ones depending on how much absorbency you need. We also haven't had any diaper rash since we used up the disposable diapers the hospital gave us and started using these instead.

2. Moses Basket - We got one of these from some friends and it's really convenient. It's super portable so we can put Ellie down anywhere we are in the house, even in bed with us. Sometimes I set it up on my rocking chairs gliding ottoman and use it like a cradle.

3. Lansinoh Thera-Pearl Hot or Cold Breast Therapy Packs - Since I pump most of the time I use these as hot packs and attach them around the pumps with the snaps. It helps to get the milk flowing. They also help a lot as cold packs when you get sore. I've tried the Medela cooling gel pads and they did NOT work at all. They were just gooey and gross.

4. Cloth Diaper Covers - We have six diaper covers so far and that seems like a really decent amount. We only go through one or two a day including night time. I chose five different brands to see which I liked best and so far my favorites are Rumparooz, GroVia and Best Bottoms. The Thirsties brand is pretty good, but they don't come in one size, so when Ellie gets bigger we will have to get the next size up. We have a couple of the cheaper brand, Diaper Safari, and those don't have leg gussets, which sucks, but they do have pockets for the cloth inserts.

5. Medela Cloth Nursing Pads - I had to start using these before Ellie was born! One thing I learned is that you need to buy a lot of these and they only come with four per pack. Better yet, if you have a bunch of flannel fabric laying around you could probably make some. I end up soaking through these quite often, so I use the disposable ones sometimes if I'm not wearing a bra. Too much information? Too bad!

6. Medela Pump-In-Style Advanced - I was given this by a friend, who is an angel by the way, because this is the best thing ever. I'm a working mom, so I have to get my frozen milk supply up before I return to work. This pump even runs on batteries if you need it to. I recommend getting the bustier so you don't have to hold them the whole time, even though it makes you feel like a cow on a dairy farm. It's a pretty roomy bag so I can keep my lanolin cream, nursing pads, extra bottles, caps, nipples, milk storage bags and breast shields in there. The ice pack bag is perfect to keep by the bed at night so when I pump I can just store the milk in there instead of going all the way to the refrigerator.

7. Boon Lawn Drying Rack - This thing is super cute! I have the little white tree that you stick into the grass to hang the nipples on. My parents thought it was hilarious to have a little "nipple tree."

8. Swaddle-Me Blankets - Ellie can't kick her way out! She really calms down when we wrap her up in these. Did you know you can actually undo the bottom portion of the swaddler so you can change a diaper without taking your baby out of the entire thing? My mom figured that one out.